MO to WI Epic Road Trip - Part 8: Exploring the Hawkeye State

Elevators, caves, and one 'Snake Alley' took me through the ups and downs of Iowa!
Who knew the Hawkeye State had so many memorable ways to get around and see the sites?  And only one of them gave me a moment of my life flashing before my eyes... 

Make sure you never miss out on a travel adventure for #reallife post, sign-up to receive them delivered conveniently to your inbox!   #AhYeah   If you didn't see the adventures at Epic, check out Part 7 of this series here. 

But First, Cheese

Have you even been to Wisconsin if you haven't eaten some of their locally crafted cheeses?!?

Before I could leave Wisconsin  I had to hit up one more cheesy adventure at the Chalet Cheese Co-Op, home of Limburger Cheese.  Founded back in 1885 as a group of family farmers, they are now the only cheese factory in the United States that produces this unique, aroma filled cheese!  Don't take my word for it, they are world champions.

Their Country Cheese Store is less than 45 minutes from the Epic world headquarters where I was in Verona and a lovely way to see some of the countryside.  Fear not if you aren't there, you can order online and they even have an 'Adventures Seeker Gift Box', yes please!

Okay, now we can head over to duh-byook (Dubuque) Iowa!


Adventure in an Elevator

Heading southwest another hour or so took me across the mighty Mi-ss-i-ss-i-pp-i River and into "Dubuque, The Key City" of Iowa.  How did it get this name?  "The basis of the name was said to reflect Dubuque's geographic location halfway between Milwaukee and Chicago" amongst other benefits over other Iowa towns.

I was greeted by so many cool painted murals it made me want to park and walk around to see them all.  But I was on a mission to get to the famous Fenelon Place Elevator Company, the 'Worlds Shortest and Steepest Railroad.'

"296 feet in length, elevating passengers 189 feed from Fourth Street up to Fenelon Place. Magnificent view of downtown Dubuque business district, the Mississippi River and three states." (Iowa, Wisconsin, and Illinois)

While you know I love adventure and am fine riding roller-coasters, going up heights, etc., this four dollar round-trip fare gave me a moment of panic when the train car gave an unexpectant jolted and the operator had to message to headquarters while I was onboard.  No wonder my husband is always warning me about carnies and other operators of equipment I trust my life to...  So take this round-trip journey at your own risk!  #YouWereWarned


Prefer a mini experience of the ride?  Check it out here on my YouTube channel:


Since I didn't die on the elevator, I guest the adventure will continue!

Time for some spelunking!

Time for some hiking and a little caving adventure, why not? Maquoketa Caves State Park is the place for both!  They had me at the description (yes, also because they used my life word, adventure):

"With more caves than any state park, Maquoketa Caves is one of Iowa’s most unique outdoor attractions. Enormous bluffs tower throughout the park, and a six-mile trail system winds through geologic formations and forests brimming with natural beauty. As one of the state’s earliest state parks, Maquoketa Caves has been a popular destination for picnickers and hikers since the 1860s. Grab your hiking shoes and a flashlight before traveling to Maquoketa Caves, because this state park is nothing short of adventure."


There is something about exploring under the earth.  The cool of the wind as you enter the mouth of a cave, the sounds of the water dripping and flowing through in streams, and the feeling of being somewhere almost sacred.

Come along with me below the surface:


Keep reading to find the final adventurous way to travel that I discovered down the road in Burlington, IA!

Snake Alley

I didn't encounter any snakes while hiking or caving, so I had to seek one out instead.  Well, the famous Snake Alley that is!

"Once deemed by Ripley's Believe it or Not to be the “Crookedest Street In The World,” Iowa’s Snake Alley was created in 1894 by a trio of German immigrants. The steep street was constructed with a purposeful design, meant to mimic the vineyard trails of Europe."  Source 

Let's go:



Wow friends, what fun in Iowa!  Thanks for traveling through with me and be sure to check out parts 1-7 of the MO to WI Epic Road Trip blog series if you missed any of those.

Coming next is Part 9, Northern Missouri, from the Civil War to the Capital and a Castle!

What is a memorable way to travel that you have experienced like one of these?

Information courtesy of Echo Schneider

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Meet Echo Schneider, Chief Adventure Officer

 
Overworked, burned out, and with waning loyalty to an industry that had lost its way and was no longer true to itself.  Of course, career burnout was at an all-time high in my sector and amongst the worst in any field.  It wasn’t all even just about work, though my perfectionism often got the best of me there more than other parts of my life.  I look back and see that I was overwhelmed and questioning so many areas of my life.  Was I doing the right things? From diet to products I bought, from how I was involved in the community to time I was spending with family, and from how I was walking out my faith and showing up in a meaningful way to my world. In this craziness is where I found myself.
 
Healthcare (watch my fingers make air quotes as I say that word and use the term loosely at best) in the US had long been bought and paid for and was no longer masking their symptom management and disease maintenance focus.  It had lost its focus on health; they could give you a pill or cut you open.  But to nurture your health and foster your body’s God-given ability to heal itself, they no longer knew how to do that.  Or worse, no longer desired to be in the business of prevention and healing.
 
As so many professional people were doing in the modern economy, we, as healthcare professionals, we’re doing more with less.  Mandatory overtime, poor ergonomics, and complete lack of an environment to practice self-care were the norm.  And to make it worse?  Because of our specific industry, we added in a loss of our medical freedoms just to stay and do our jobs.  The days of job security were long gone, and I watched in fear as friends and colleagues in sectors across the board were being laid off just to help top leaders move the stock up for shareholders.  How terrifying that this could be the reward for lifelong dedication and hard work!
 
At home, it didn't feel much better.  I fought to find a non-existent work-life balance and to be present while feeling exhausted (have you ever come home from work to fall asleep on the couch and finally be awoken when your Mom calls? Tell me this isn’t just me!).  I was disappointed in myself seeing my self-care fall away, time with friends and family slipping by, and I wasn’t spending the time I wanted serving with my church family or in my community.  
 
Add to that the confusion and frustration of what should have been simple daily choices.  What foods should I be eating? Is this trendy thing something I should try?  Wait, is the product good or bad, I paid more for it, but I feel like I saw an article on them that there was a recall or they were green-washing.  So frustrating and such a time-suck trying to keep up and have the health and abundance our family deserved!  I felt like at every turn that I was running to keep up and felt like I ultimately just found more of the same lies in the name of profits, and more ways my health was ultimately paying the price, yet again.
 
How could anyone thrive in this culture when even those who were well educated and seeking out something better faced with such daunting challenges?  I know, first-world problems, but I longed to create something more, a legacy for myself and others.  To break generational chains and I knew I wouldn’t be able to do it stuck in this rat-race.
 
Set the stage for that something.  I have, for so much of my life, been interested in learning, growing, and being a student of personal development.  From an investment with top leadership development companies through their programs for years to Law of Attraction to Conscious Language and so many others, I was finding the mentorship and teaching I needed to make the changes I so desperately desired.  
 
There wasn’t an overnight shift or an immediate awareness to change, but I began to find my path slowly and as a result, was investing myself in new ways.  I was raised by a wise and visionary Mother who had shown me what it was to be an entrepreneur.  I always admired that title and was drawn to it in many ways.  As I dabbled in businesses from my youth through college and beyond, I was picking up pieces of freedom and a stage where I could work for myself to create something new.  
 
As the years went on, I kept pushing myself in that path.  I was helping others, and I was welcoming a team of like-minded friends and family to come with me.  This was possible; we were doing it!  It wasn’t easy, we were doing a side-hustle while still being full-time professionals and wives and Mothers, but we were doing it none the less.

I'm so excited to have found a platform to speak truth. To show up for others in "true health" in ways that I didn’t know could exist when I started down this path.  But I know now that we don't have to settle any longer.  Any of us, friends!  It's time to live the great adventure that you were made for.
 
Now it’s time to move beyond business beyond vocation.  Now we are building a blessing.  That has so many meanings, one being the definition of “a herd of unicorns,” in case you didn’t know.  I was given the title of ‘unicorn’ from a dear friend when she came to know me and saw what I was capable of achieving.  And now it’s my turn to see that light in you.  Join me, and together, we can create a community and movement with a vision to change it all.
 
I don't care what your background is.  What education you received growing up in business, finances, or medicine.  Those things don't matter.  We are walking a new path to freedom in all areas of our lives.
 
I'm writing a new future and destiny for myself and my family, and I won't journey alone.  A mentor taught me to carry the confidence that God has called me to rise, but I will not rise alone.
 
I'm reaching out my hand to you (don't worry, I recently used a plant-based hand sanitizer) so that you are not alone; we will do this together!  
 
You are so worthy.  
 
Your family and your dreams are worth it.  
 
Together we can do this, but you must take the first step. ðŸ‘Š

I can't wait to connect with you via text, email, or on social media!

Contact

Adventures 4 #RealLife ~ Echo Alexzander
Echo Schneider

Highlandville, MO 65669
USA
Phone: 2082415018
Email: echo.schneider@gmail.com

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